The Rainbow Connection
by Dakki
Summary: (One-shot.) Mush had been Blink’s best friend for almost his whole life...And when you had a friendship like that, it wasn’t something you took chances with--not even for love.


_Disclaimer: Not much to say here, except that I'm surprised that it took me this long to think of doing a little one-shot slashy fluff to the tune of a song from the Muppet Movie. So—don't own the newsies, don't own Kermit the Frog. You're lucky I don't—because, If I did, you'd never hear the end of it. (wink)_

_ And now, on with the fic! _

**The Rainbow Connection**

Blink blinked. (It had to happen sometime.) He was lying under the table in Spot's kitchen, his head pounding, his throat feeling like it was coated with sandpaper. He opened his eyes, the sun still barely up in the sky, and looked around. He was just beginning to remember why he didn't come to Spot's parties very often.

Although, that was one of the few things he _could _remember. He closed his eyes against the sun, reciting to himself his name, the alphabet, his address—he just wanted to make sure that he didn't have amnesia. Because he couldn't recall a single clear moment of last night's events, and he was more than a little afraid that he had done something embarrassing…

"Hi-ho, everyone!"

Oh, sweet Jesus.

Blink propped himself up on his elbows—barely avoiding hitting his head on the bottom of the table and knocking himself out once again—and looked into the living room, to see Mush sitting cross-legged on the carpet, watching _Sesame Street _on Spot's TV and eating Froot Loops.

Blink leaned back against the linoleum, closing his eyes and listening to Kermit sing his heart out on his little lily-pad onscreen. This, he realized, was exactly what he loved about Mush—that he could go through one of Spot's parties, a night of loud music and drugs and drinking and broken furniture, and wake up the next morning looking innocent as the day he was born.

_ Why are there so many songs about rainbows, and what's on the other side?_

_ Rainbows are visions, but only illusions, and rainbows have nothing to hide._

_ So we've been told and some choose to believe it, but I know they're wrong—wait and see…_

_ Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me._

Kid Blink had been best friends with Mush since they were in Catholic elementary school together. Mush had always been the one who could get away with anything—faking stigmata to get out of class, holding fixed beetle races in the schoolyard. The beginning of their entire friendship, in fact, had been Mush's second-grade magic act, where he charged admission to a flea circus (it took most of the kids almost a week to find out that the fleas were Raisinets). Mush nicknamed Blink his "beautiful assistant, Wanda." He seemed to think it was hysterically funny at the time. Actually, he still kind of did.

Mush had been Blink's best friend for almost his whole life. He was his other half. And when you had a friendship like that, it wasn't something you took chances with--not even for love.

_ Who said that every wish would be heard and answered, when wished on the morning star?_

_ Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it, and look what it's done so far._

_ What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing, and what do we think we might see?_

_ Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me._

Mush looked over at Blink from his seat in the living room. "You awake yet?"

"Mmph."

Mush grinned and got up, sauntering into the kitchen. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Jesus Christ, what did I _do _last night?"

"Well…you decided you wanted to do a Cossack dance, but instead of doing it on top of the table you would be original and do it underneath it…and then when you tried to stand up you hit your head and passed out."

Blink reached up, feeling a good-sized lump on the back of his skull.

Filling a glass with water from the tap, Mush walked over and knelt down next to him. "Here, drink this. You'll feel better."

Blink tried to sit up, but the pounding in his head only increased. With a moan, he fell back on the floor, resting his head on his arm and looking up at his friend with one eye.

"Hey Mush?" he asked, muffled.

"Yeah?"

"Did I say anything…did I say anything dumb last night?"

"Well, you didn't say anything that _wasn't _dumb, so—"

"No, I mean—did I say anything about you? I mean—you'd tell me, right?"

But Mush only smiled, and held the glass to his lips.

…_All of us under its spell_

_ We know it's probably magic…_

Blink didn't try to say anything, just drank the water, grateful for its coolness, and felt the drops trickle down his neck like rain. When he was done, Mush took the glass away, and reached out to brush some of the moisture from his lips. His thumb rested gently on his lower lip, then reached up to touch him on the cheek so gently that the feeling of it ran through him like electricity.

"I lied," he said.

"You did?"

"There was one thing you said," he murmured. "And it wasn't stupid at all."

He slid down to lie next to him under the table, and kissed him on the mouth, as soft and cool as rain.

Blink just lay on the floor, his eyes closed, blissful. If he had had any chance of being able to get up this morning, all of it was gone by now.

_Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection_

_ The lovers, the dreamers, and me._


End file.
